


Pride Means Proud (And I'm Proud of You)

by HappyJuicyfruit



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Claudia Stilinski, Alive Hale Family, Developing Relationship, Everyone Is Alive, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Genderfluid Character, Genderqueer Character, Happy Ending, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Pride, Protective Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 12:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15485451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyJuicyfruit/pseuds/HappyJuicyfruit
Summary: “Are you sure I’m your best friend?” Stiles asked. “You might want to pick someone else.. I’m a bit.. I’m different.”Derek scowled at him, “I don’t care, you’re my best friend.”Stiles was still looking at him seriously through, his pink nail polish shone when he grabbed Derek’s arm. “Think about this, Derek. You’re starting high school next year, and I’m going to the same school the year after that. I know we’re good now, but what about then? You could be great in high school, Derek. You could be a star quarter player or something.”“You’re my best friend, I don’t care what anyone else thinks. They’re stupid anyway.”





	Pride Means Proud (And I'm Proud of You)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone :) I wanted to write something focused on LGBTQ Pride because of all the happy pride celebrations that happen in the summer! I have personal experience with the gay part of pride, but I am not personally genderqueer. I tried to be as accurate and respectful as possible, but let me know what you think in the comments and I can definitely edit if need be :) 
> 
> I hope you like it!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings: Stiles feels out of place/doesn't belong, Stiles gets beat up for being gay.

When Derek was ten years old he met the Stilinski's. 

 

It was a surprise to everyone when a short little kid came banging on their door, shouting that they needed to turn his mother into a werewolf like them. Derek and the rest of his siblings stared at the kid with wide eyes as his father tried to deny everything - but his mother stayed calm. 

 

She only asked to see the boy’s mom. 

 

The boy’s father apologized profusely when they all arrived in the hospital. He’d been looking for the boy everywhere in the building, he’d had no idea he’d left to go bother an entire family miles away.

 

Talia waved him off, her eyes focused on the boy’s mother. 

 

Her eyes were dark, her cheeks hollow. She wasn’t able to form sentences and flinched away whenever anyone tried to touch her. Talia then turned her eyes to the father, and then lastly to the boy. She ran a hand gently over his head before nodding. 

 

The boy beamed, Talia smiled, and that was it. That was how the Stilinski's became a part of the Hale pack. That was also how Derek met Stiles, the smartest and bravest boy he would ever know. The boy who changed his life. 

 

—

 

Derek and Stiles became fast friends. 

 

Derek was ten and Stiles was nine, but they went to different schools so it didn’t matter. At the Hale house they would run through the trees, battling fake monsters and jumping into puddles. At the Stilinski house they played video games, for hours. 

 

Stiles did most of the talking, and Derek did most of the listening. It worked for them. 

 

—

 

When Derek was twelve and Stiles was eleven, Derek told Stiles that he was his best friend. 

 

Stiles smiled at him, pleased but shy. 

 

“Are you sure I’m your best friend?” Stiles asked. “You might want to pick someone else.. I’m a bit.. I’m different.”

 

Derek scowled at him, “I don’t care, you’re my best friend.” 

 

Stiles was still looking at him seriously through, his pink nail polish shone when he grabbed Derek’s arm. “Think about this, Derek. You’re starting high school next year, and I’m going to the same school the year after that. I know we’re good now, but what about then? You could be great in high school, Derek. You could be a star quarter player or something.” 

 

Derek snorted, “quarterback. And that’s in football, I’d rather play basketball.” 

 

“Not the point.” 

 

“That’s the only point I’m willing to talk about.” Derek said, raising his own eyebrows at Stiles exasperated expression. “You’re my best friend. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. They’re stupid anyway, you’re awesome.” 

 

“Derek-“ 

 

“You’re my best friend.” 

 

Stiles sighed, but he was smiling happily now. “Okay, if you’re sure.” 

 

“I’m sure.” 

 

Stiles eyes twinkled as he nudged his shoulder against Derek’s. “You’re my best friend too.” 

 

—

 

When Derek was fourteen and Stiles was thirteen, Stiles started going to Beacon Hills High School. 

 

Derek was terrified. 

 

Derek had started a year earlier. He wasn’t the most popular kid in his grade, but he was getting by fine. He joined the basketball team, and made friends with Boyd, Isaac, and Erica. His sister Laura was a grade above him and always insisted on sitting with him at lunch. His brother Corey was a senior, who acted like he didn’t know Derek but full on growled at anyone who looked like they might bug his younger brother...That had happened a few times.. 

 

Derek was quiet. He was quiet, and awkward, and everyone always assumed he was mad but that’s just how his face looked. So if a few people started to tease Derek - relatively normal, easygoing, quiet Derek - what the hell were high schoolers going to do with Stiles? 

 

Stiles and his friend Lydia started planning their ‘debut’ outfits a week before school started, and Stiles had actually considered wearing high heels on the very first day. Derek almost had a heart attack. 

 

Stiles other friend Scott thankfully talked Stiles down to something more casual, but Lydia had promised Stiles he would get the chance to wear the heels later. 

 

Yeah.. Derek was terrified. 

 

\-- 

 

When Derek was fifteen and Stiles was fourteen, Derek found Stiles bloody and bruised behind the school gym. 

 

Derek waited by their bikes for ten minutes before realizing something was wrong. He retraced Stiles steps by scent from Stiles last period class, and broke into a run when he caught the scent of blood. 

 

Stiles was wearing a sundress that day. A sundress over leggings with flip flops. Derek had told him he looked beautiful that morning, and Stiles had laughed and twirled. 

 

Now Stiles couldn’t even stand. 

 

Derek carried his friend to the front of the school, shouting for help the entire way there. Laura met them halfway, already on the phone with an ambulance. 

 

That night, Claudia and John slept with their heads on their son’s hospital bed. Talia had a meeting with everyone in their pack who went to the high school. Derek, Laura, Cora, Boyd, Isaac, Erica, Scott and Lydia all sat somberly in the Hale living room. 

 

They made a pack agreement to never leave Stiles alone in the high school again. 

 

\-- 

 

When Derek was sixteen and Stiles was fifteen, Derek kissed Stiles. 

 

Stiles showed up the their pack barbeque in a sundress. The first sundress he had worn in a year. The entire pack complimented him, and by the end of the night Stiles’ eyes no longer looked guarded and afraid. Instead he was back to his loud and obnoxious self. 

 

Derek couldn’t look away. 

 

When most of the pack’s teens went off into the woods to have a campfire, Derek pulled Stiles in the opposite direction. Stiles followed him willingly. 

 

“You look beautiful,” Derek whispered, eyes fixed on Stiles. 

 

“Thank you,” Stiles said with a smile, leaning against a nearby tree. 

 

“I can’t keep my eyes off of you,” Derek said, swaying towards Stiles like he was a moon, and Stiles was the planet who kept tugging him in. 

 

“I noticed,” Stiles smirked at him. 

 

“I-” Derek hesitated, his face was only inches away from Stiles, “does it make you uncomfortable? I can stop-” 

 

“No, you big dummy,” Stiles laughed, “nothing you do makes me uncomfortable. Keep doing what you’re doing.” 

 

Derek smiled, feeling bolder he pressed his body against Stiles, pushing the other boy against the tree, “keep doing this?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“And this?” Derek asked, bringing his mouth down to Stiles’ mouth. He paused, only glancing up to see Stiles close his eyes and tilt his head up to meet him. Derek shut his own eyes and pressed forward. 

 

Stiles mouth tasted like marshmellows. Stiles happy scent after their kiss smelled like strawberries. 

 

\-- 

 

When Derek was seventeen and Stiles was sixteen, Derek took Stiles to prom. 

 

Derek wore a black suit, and Stiles wore a tan suit he had sown himself in Home Ec. They wore matching blue ties, which Derek didn’t think would work, but somehow it did. Stiles told him he should really trust his fashion choices by now, but Stiles also wore booted heels with his suit so Derek was still on the fence about that. 

 

Talia and Claudia cried while their fathers took about a thousand pictures of the two of them together. Luckily Boyd, Erica, Isaac, and Isaac’s date Sam were all dragged into the pictures as well when they arrived. They all seemed put out at first, but Stiles’ enthusiasm quickly caught on and soon they were all posing in ridiculous positions, jumping and laughing in front of the cameras. 

 

When they finally made it to the school, they were all giddy and giggling. Stiles tugged Derek to the dance floor, wrapping his arms around Derek’s neck and smiling at him brightly. Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles waist, sure that his smile looked exactly the same. 

 

Someone to their left made a snide comment about Stiles not wearing a dress, but that was cut off quickly when Boyd and Isaac shoved their way into the dance floor. Stiles didn’t look like he heard, and Derek was glad. 

 

“I love you, you know,” Stiles said, resting his head against Derek’s. 

 

“I know,” Derek whispered back, “I love you too.” 

 

\-- 

 

When Derek was eighteen and Stiles was seventeen, Stiles took Derek to prom. 

 

The year had been hard for them, the year they had to spend apart. Derek had been hours away at Berkley, and had only had the time to come back home every other weekend. The two of them had literally jumped for joy when Stiles got his acceptance letter for the next year. At least they knew they would be together again soon.

 

Stiles last year of high school had gone by smoothly, much to Derek’s relief. Derek was sure that was mostly due to Scott, Lydia and Cora, but Derek was just glad his boyfriend was okay. 

 

This time for prom, they both wore a rented tux. They wore watching black ties, but Stiles wore is heeled boots again. Stiles and Derek met the rest of Stiles friends at Lydia’s house before going to the dance. Derek, for some ridiculous reason, thought that would mean they wouldn’t be taking as many pictures as last year. He thought wrong. 

 

Lydia and Stiles took more pictures of just the two of them than their entire party had taken last year combined. 

 

By the time they got to the dance they were an hour late, but none of them seemed to mind. 

 

The dance was as magical as it had been the year before, and Derek and Stiles slow danced together the same way. This time, however, they were circled by Stiles friends. 

 

Lydia won Prom Queen - no one was surprised. 

She shared her crown with Stiles.

 

—

 

When Derek was 19 and Stiles was 18, Stiles heard something that changed his life. 

 

Derek liked to think his boyfriend was just really flamboyant, but he knew there was more to it than that. He knew that sometimes Stiles felt wrong in his own skin. He knew that when Stiles grew quiet, it meant Stiles was having a hard time accepting something about himself. 

 

He knew that no matter what he did, this was something he couldn’t help Stiles with. 

 

Stiles bought dresses, and wore nail polish, and shared shoes with Laura (who had giant feet). Stiles slept in a nightgown, and wore face masks, and knew how to apply eye liner better than Cora. 

 

But Stiles also wore jeans, and plaid shirts, and followed baseball more religiously than anyone else Derek knew. And no matter what Stiles did, he didn’t feel like he belonged. 

 

If he went shopping with the girls, he would get stares. If he went to a game with the boys he was laughed at. 

 

He never felt like he fit in, no matter how hard Derek and the pack tried to tell him otherwise. 

 

Until he joined the pride group at Berkeley. 

 

The first week Stiles had come home laughing, happy to have found a welcoming pride group at his university. Derek had never felt the need to seek it out, but he was happy for his boyfriend that he had found what he was looking for. 

 

The second week Stiles came home silent. He walked into their apartment and sat down heavily on the couch. He didn’t even take off his boots. Derek paused his Netflix show, choosing instead to kneel in front of his boyfriend in concern. 

 

“Stiles?” 

 

“Genderqueer.” Stiles said, eyes staring unfocused over Derek’s shoulder, “or gender fluid.” 

 

Derek furrowed his brow, “what?” 

 

“I knew I wasn’t trans, I never wanted to be a woman, but I also knew..” Stiles shook his head, “I didn’t know there was a name for it.” 

 

Stiles looked at him then, his eyes were full of tears, but they were also full of hope. It made Derek’s breath catch in his throat. 

 

“There are other people like me, Derek, I’m not alone.” Stiles voice cracked on the last word. 

 

The crack finally brought life back to Derek’s legs. He moved quickly, sitting down on the couch beside Stiles just as the boy (.. person?) started to truly cry. Derek pulled him (them?) against his shoulder, rubbing his (fuck, their?) back. 

 

Stiles clutched him back, his fingers a tight grip on Derek’s shirt. 

 

“You were never alone, Stiles. I’m right here.” Derek whispered, rocking them both. 

 

Later that night, as they curl up in their bed together, Derek cleared his throat awkwardly. Because if something affects Stiles, it affected him too. 

 

“Should I.. should I start calling you my partner, or something? Instead of boyfriend?” 

 

Stiles shook his head against Derek’s shoulder, “no, I like boyfriend. Maybe we can be partners in our twenties, when we’re old.” Stiles snorted. Derek would be twenty in a few months, Stiles liked to tease him about that. 

 

Derek fiddled with the duvet though, that answer didn’t really help him much. Stiles fingers covered his a moment later. 

 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Stiles asked, pushing himself up on his elbow. 

 

“I’m worried I’m going to hurt you accidently or something. What if I introduce you to someone new, and I go like ‘this is my boyfriend, he’s great’, but you’re- I don’t know- and I-” 

 

Derek is silenced with a kiss, which is he grateful for. He’s not usually one to ramble, but he’s worried. Stiles always has him worried. 

 

“Derek, if you’re introducing me as ‘this is my awesome great person’, I don’t care what pronoun you use. Yes, some people change their pronouns. Yes, some people start to go by they and them. But personally, for me, I’m fine with him. I’m happy to be introduced as your boyfriend. You can call me he, it’s all good.” Stiles said, calmly stroking the worry lines off of Derek’s forehead. 

 

“Okay,” Derek sighed, “if you’re sure.” 

 

Stiles smiled down at him, “I’m sure.” 

 

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Derek said seriously. 

 

Stiles grinned, “you’re the best, you know that?” 

 

Derek finally relaxed against the bed, smirking up at his boyfriend. “Yeah, I know. You really lucked out with me.” 

 

Stiles smacked him.

 

— 

 

When Derek was 21 and Stiles was 20, Derek and Stiles went to their first pride parade. 

 

Derek was almost finished his undergrad, but had plans to do a Masters program in library sciences. He had dreams of working in one of the university libraries in California, spending his days with books and research students. 

 

Stiles had two years left of his undergrad - his plans were much more ambitious. 

 

Stiles was taking a political science degree. He had dreams of either becoming a politician, or becoming a lawyer. Whatever he did, he wanted to help the LGBTQ community in some way. 

His first year at Berkeley Stiles had joined the pride group. He’d been a follower the first few months, but quickly made his way up the ranks. Now he was the Vice President. 

 

Derek was proud of him. 

 

On their summer vacations, the two of them went home. While they lived together during the school year, they both stayed at their parents homes during the summer months. Derek worked in his dad's auto shop, Stiles worked at his mother's gardening store. 

 

Neither of them thought much of ‘Pride Month’ until Scott asked if they were going. 

 

“Going where?” Stiles asked, still trying to brush the dirt off of his jeans. Derek shook his head at his boyfriend, even Stiles ‘ratty work jeans’ looked nicer than most of Derek’s everyday jeans. 

 

“The Pride Parade, in San Francisco? I know there’s probably smaller ones around here, but that’s the easiest big one to get to.” Scott said, lounging on the Stilinski couch like he didn’t just drop a bombshell of news on Stiles head. 

 

“I’ve never thought about it.” Derek mused. 

 

“We’re going.” Stiles said. 

 

So they went. 

 

Stiles wore rainbow high heels and a feather boa. Derek was glad to see he fit right in. Derek wore a shirt with a rainbow heart on it, mostly because Stiles had given it to him. Scott and Allison didn’t dress up at all, but they wore pins. 

 

Derek didn’t pay much attention to the parade, mostly watching Stiles expression as he took it all in. He smiled the entire time, but his eyes sometimes grew misty and wistful. Derek made sure to hold his hand those times. 

 

When it was all over, and the four of them were making their way back to their motel room that night, Stiles turned to Derek with determination in his eyes. “We’re going to do this in Beacon Hills someday.” He promised. 

 

Derek didn’t doubt him. 

 

—

 

When Derek was 26 and Stiles was 25, Derek asked Stiles to marry him. 

 

Stiles said yes. 

 

Stiles and Lydia mostly planned the wedding, and Derek was fine with that. He trusted the two of them by now. 

 

They had the wedding on a June day in his parents backyard. Scott and Lydia stood on Stiles side wearing pale yellow, Laura and Cora stood with Derek in red. 

 

John cried when he walked Stiles down the aisle. 

 

Stiles wore a white linen suit, with a pale yellow rose pinned to the front. Derek thought he looked beautiful. 

 

They ate on long tables decorated in red and yellow roses. When the sky started to grow dark, lanterns were pulled out and strings of lights were plugged in. The entire backyard glowed - it looked magical. 

 

“The backyard looks great, my dear husband,” Derek said, throwing an arm over Stiles shoulders. 

 

“Thank you, husband. I knew you’d like the lanterns.” Stiles replied, leaning into him. 

 

“You were right. You officially know everything about me.” 

 

“Yeah, I do,” Stiles laughed, “and I love you all the more for it.” 

 

Derek smiled, kissing his new husbands lips. How he loved that word. 

 

—

 

When Derek was 30 and Stiles was 29, Stiles and Derek moved back to Beacon Hills. 

 

Derek landed a job at Beacon Hills Community College library. It was not the gand library that Derek had dreamed of, but it was perfect in his eyes. The two of them moved into a tiny home a few blocks away from the Stilinski residence, closer to the preserve. The downpayment mostly came from their parents, but Derek was sure his new job could cover the mortgage.

 

He was happy. 

 

Except he worried about Stiles.. Because he always worried about Stiles. 

 

Stiles always talked about changing the world, and now that he had officially passed the bar and become a lawyer, Derek was worried he would be unhappy in a small town… 

 

But Stiles seemed to be diving right in. Derek was not entirely clear what he was doing, but he was out of the house every day applying to jobs and doing something at city hall. 

 

Derek focused on renovating their house. He let Stiles focus on his career. 

 

Leave it to Stiles to change the world from a small town in northern California. 

Derek didn’t doubt he could do it. 

 

—

When Derek was 32 and Stiles was 31, Stiles became a councilman of Beacon Hills. 

 

Officially, he was in charge of the environment. Stiles was in charge of the parks, and making decisions on what to do with garbage. Within a year, Stiles had a better recycling policy than Beacon Hills had ever had before. 

 

Unofficially, Stiles was the head of the pride committee of the town. 

Stiles had big plans for them. 

 

—

When Derek was 35 and Stiles was 34, they adopted a baby. 

 

The mother was a distant cousin, a werecoyote who became pregnant at 15 and didn’t know what to do. 

Talia knew what to do. 

 

The girl, Malia, stayed with them for a few months in her last stages of pregnancy. She told them she was glad her baby was going to such a nice couple. Stiles promised to keep her updated, Malia cried, but she was happy. 

 

A month before the baby was due to be born, Stiles decided to teach himself how to knit. He wasn’t great, but at least their baby wouldn’t care if their hats looked like misshapen socks. 

 

Derek worked on the nursery. It was really more like a closet off of Derek and Stiles room, but it had a window and Derek painted it a nice pale green. He put up pictures of puppies, and installed a nightlight that looked like the moon. The room was only big enough for a crib and a change table, but it would do for now. 

 

When the baby did eventually come, little Amelia slept in their bed more often than not. 

Neither Derek nor Stiles minded the lack of sleep - they loved her too much to mind.

 

—

When Derek was 36 and Stiles was 35, Beacon Hills had their first official pride parade. 

 

It wasn’t big, but it was filled with happy faces. A lot of teenagers showed up, and Stiles smile grew wider with each one. 

 

They started the parade at town hall, where they would raise the pride flag, and they would finish downtown where Stiles had set up drinks and cake. Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand before they started, Derek squeezed right back. Stiles had taken a long time deciding what to wear that day, but he had finally settled on a sundress over leggings with flip flops. 

 

Derek thought he looked beautiful. 

 

Stiles stepped up to the little podium they had set up, and the crowd quieted down.

 

“Thank you all for coming to our first pride parade in Beacon Hills!” Stiles started, smiling as there was a round of applause. “As many of you know, I grew up in Beacon Hills. This is my hometown, and I am proud of it… but I haven’t always felt that way. Growing up here was hard. The community didn’t have much support for someone like me, someone who is not only gay but genderqueer. I didn’t feel like I fit in a lot of the time, and if it wasn’t for the support of my friends and family, I can honestly say I don’t know if I would be here today.” 

 

Stiles paused, blinking fiercely before he could continue. No one in the audience spoke. 

 

“That’s why I’m so proud of us now. When I started working here a few years ago, there wasn’t a pride committee. There weren’t people pushing for equality and acceptance. I pushed for those things, and I had a lot of support behind me. My dad, our very own Sheriff Stilinski was one of those supporters. So was our Mayor, Jessica White. With their support we built a pride committee, and we’ve spread. There’s now a pride group in our high school. And I am so happy to hear that. I am so happy to know that kids these days won’t go through what I went through. I’m happy to know that my daughter, no matter who she grows up to be, will never feel like an outsider in her own home. I am happy that we can say Beacon Hills is proud of all of its citizens - and we are willing to show it.” 

 

Stiles nodded towards his dad and the Sheriff pulled the strings, raising the pride flag into the air. There were soft clicks as everyone took a picture of the moment. 

 

“I am happy for this town, and I can not wait to see where we go next. Thank you for coming out today everyone! Let’s get this parade started!” Stiles finished, taking a step away from the podium. The crowd broke into applause once more.

 

Stiles hurried to the front of the parade, picking up his pride flag on the way. Derek met him there. 

 

“I’m so proud of you,” Derek said, leaning in to kiss his husband before they started their march. Stiles smiled at him, raising his flag, and gripping Derek’s hand. Amy squealed in delight on top of Derek’s shoulders as they started to walk - their whole pack, and community, behind them. 

 

—

 

The End  <3 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a kudos or comment to let me know what you think :) 
> 
>    
> [Come say hi on tumblr!](http://happyjuicyfruit.tumblr.com/)


End file.
